Manuscript Collection Descriptions

The Society holds over 1,400 manuscript collections, most of which have been cataloged in the online catalog.

Collection descriptions for approximately half of all processed manuscript collections are available below as pdfs. Additional collection descriptions are added online as time permits. They often contain useful information that goes beyond the descriptions provided in the online catalog or the printed catalog, and therefore it is essential that readers wishing to use manuscripts consult the collection descriptions before requesting collections.

The descriptions contain the following information: collection name, size, location, finding aids, source, biographical information, and content description. If a collection is available on microfilm, that information is stamped on the collection description. Large collections have longer collection descriptions, which often include contents lists. Contents lists itemize collections at the box, folder, or volume level, providing more specific access to the information contained within collections. Handwritten card indexes to the correspondence in several collections not item-cataloged are available in the manuscripts department. When these exist, they are mentioned in the collection descriptions.

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